Blind date
by Terfle
Summary: Blind dates don't always go the way they think it will. One way street to Berena


Bernie waited by stage door, anxiously twirling a cigarette between her fingers. It was a strange place to meet for a date but Bernie was on edge and wasn't sure if she wanted to have dinner just yet. Maybe a quick drink would be better. They'd only been messaging for a week but she could swear that sparks flew between them. She'd never felt such a buzz before. She checked her messages, read them through again and desperately hoped she wasn't being catfished. She'd never done this before and she really liked this woman, whoever she was.

Footsteps echoed towards her and she looked up with hope and a little bit of terror. The silhouette took the shape of someone quite familiar. She wondered what Serena was doing in this district. She had the feeling that Serena was partial to a bit of theatre but she was late. The show had already started. She returned the wave and panic gripped her. Her date could not turn up while Serena was around. She was doing this to get her mind off Serena.

The lady in question stopped in front of Bernie and smiled. In spite of her panic, Bernie's heart soared at being singled out for her attention. She loved it when it was just the two of them; ensconced in their office, flirting over a patient in theatre, those little smiles and winks just for her. Sometimes she could drown out everything around her when she was with Serena.

'Hi.'

'You looked a little lonely over here. I thought I'd keep you company.'

Bernie shifted awkwardly, not sure how to brush her off. She was back to square one, preferring to stay in her safe zone of orbiting Serena than go out on a limb and find someone new. Someone who would return her unrequited affections. Already she regretted the date to come. But she had to see it through.

'Actually I'm meeting someone.' She ducked her head in embarrassment and only looked up when the silence got too loud.

'So am I.'

Serena's smile confused her. If she had a date, why was she here and not there? And why that sly seductive smile, the one that got Bernie all hot and bothered?

'Aren't you going to be late?' She hated herself for sounding rude. She wanted Serena to stay.

'Not yet.' She stayed where she was.

Bernie's expression bordered on hostile but Serena could read her face well by now and knew she was deeply confused.

'What are you doing here?'

There she was again, being infernally rude. She could have kicked herself.

Serena considered Bernie's bewilderment and took off her scarf. Undid the top buttons of her coat and then the top buttons of her shirt. She kept her eyes on Bernie, Bernie leaning on the door, trying to act calm. Her heart was thudding and she was sure her night was going way off track.

Serena pulled down the collar of her shirt to reveal a glimpse of burgundy lace. Bernie nearly jumped out of her skin. Her date mentioned that she owned such underwear and Bernie had messaged back with her desire to see it. Her date had promised to wear it tonight. Fancy underwear had never been on hers or Alex's shopping list and she was dying to see it on a real woman. She didn't realise that hour would come so soon. Her brain made the connection, realised far too late that Serena had known she was going to be here all along. _Oh my God._ She had realised she'd said it out loud.

'I knew it was you.'

'How?' Bernie was shocked. She would have known if she had been talking to Serena online, wouldn't she?

'I knew when you described yourself.'

Bernie felt like her head was going to explode. She had given a generic description of herself. Tall, blonde, brown eyes, liked whiskey and wore skinny jeans a lot. That could be anyone. How did Serena jump to the conclusion that it was her? She should be flattered but she felt terrified. Obviously she was more transparent than she'd thought.

'Who else do I know drinks whiskey and has the legs for those jeans?' Serena gently teased her.

Bernie felt like such a fool. She'd been chatting to her best friend for a week without even knowing. They had chemistry. They couldn't wait to meet. It struck her that Serena wasn't as straight as she thought she was and it shocked her.

While she was muddling this through, Serena layered up and waited for Bernie to come back to her senses. She too was thinking how strange it was for it to be under her nose the whole time. Someone she'd really liked, more than liked if she could be honest with herself. It took her long enough to realise.

'You knew it was me.' Bernie still couldn't get her head around that.

Serena knew what that meant. _Why would you continue this with me?_ She answered it honestly.

'Knowing it was you didn't stop me from messaging you back.'

Bernie froze, registering what that meant. Her mind spooled back to a conversation they'd had the other day, about a patient's end of life plan.

'What you said the other day' she thought out loud. 'About love…'

Both of them remembered it well. Serena had talked about love making fools of anyone, that it would make someone do things they scarcely imagined. Bernie had stared at her in disbelief. It had sounded so sentimental, not at all like brisk, no nonsense Serena. There was that mysterious smile, accompanying her next words. She had been in love before. She did know the symptoms. Bernie's practical head told her that Serena was empathising with the patient's husband. Her foolish heart told her that Serena had been speaking about her. But Serena had glided off and they never spoke of it again.

'You were talking to me.'

'Well you were the only person there' she said flippantly.

'You were talking _about_ me.'

Serena had been angling for her to say it out loud and to finally hear it made her heart skip. She was sure she had read the signals right. She wanted Bernie to confirm it.

'You should have caught me up and kissed me when you had the chance.'

Bernie realised that she should have. After that comment, what kind of idiot missed a cue like that? It had been for her and she'd let it pass by.

'Is the chance still available?' She enquired anxiously.

'Are _you_ still available?'

Bernie took a step towards her, hardly believing her ears.

'What are you looking for?'

'Whatever you're offering. If you're still offering it?'

Bernie thought back to their conversation, how she'd propositioned her for a night of no strings attached sex just yesterday. It was incredibly forward of her but she really liked this woman and felt gratified by her keen desire. They'd been messaging all evening and Serena had said nothing to her this morning. She blushed at the reminder of what she said she'd like to do to her. She bet Serena had taken notes.

'Are you sure you want to? I mean, you didn't give me any indication you were anything but completely heterosexual.' She was really hoping otherwise. The look on her face gave it away.

The naughty smile Serena flashed her told her that chance was very much there. For the first time since that awful, heart stopping, wonderful moment when Bernie had kissed her in theatre, Serena could indulge her senses. This time she was the one to lay her hand on the other woman's cheek and draw her in, pressing her lips to Bernie's and kissing her like nothing else mattered.

Bernie was not disappointed in her blind date.


End file.
